Alexander Krayevsky
by Roses23
Summary: "You will go undercover as Donald and Elizabeth Meller who are newlyweds." Ressler and Keen are forced to go undercover to capture Alexander Krayevsky head of the Chicago crime family. Set several months after 1x10.
1. Broken Marriage

A/N –_Takes place several months after 1x10 and AU after that. Red is still evading arrest and Ressler's returned to work a month after the events of 1x10 and is nearly fully recovered._

_This is hopefully going to a multi-chapter story if people are interested in what I am writing. Keen and Ressler have so much chemistry and I love writing them together. Any comments are greatly appreciated as always, it is always good to know what works. This chapter is setting up the story and therefore there is limited Ressler/Keen interaction. _

_There is definitely a lack of Keen/Ressler fanfiction out there at the moment. Something to keep us going until next week, anyway I hope you enjoy :)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Blacklist (otherwise Tom would be killed off already)_

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Liz looked around the conference room that was filled full with people, she took a sip from her coffee mug. Meera was sitting flipping through her file, speed reading the contents; Aram with sitting, brow furrowed, typing quickly on his laptop and Ressler was dispensing files to everyone whilst Harold stood at the front of the room ready to commend everyone's attention. Her phone vibrated in her bag, she reached down and received the phone before the rest of the room could react. She quickly glanced at who was phoning her. Tom. She sent it to voicemail before replacing the phone in her bag.

"New case everyone," stated Ressler as he handed out the remaining files before moving to the front of the room to join Harold. Liz picked up the thick file flicking to the first page, the she saw a picture of a middle aged man, business like with greying hair.

"Alexander Krayevsky," Harold disclosed. "Head of the Chicago crime family with ties to the Russian mafia. He has been linked to a drug trafficking and prostitution. He has also suspected of being involved in a string of high-profile murders, namely, politician Julianna Young and base-ball player Javier Lopez. He is untouchable, we suspect he has paid off police enforcement officials and has government-players in his pocket."

"This morning his number two Viktor Tolstroy was found with a point-blank bullet hole in his head," Ressler continued as he held up the picture of the body of Viktor Tolstroy. "It was staged like a suicide but no suicide note was found and forensics have stated that the blood splutter is inconsistent with suicide."

"His number two is gone, making him more vulnerable than ever," pointed out Meera.

"Our thoughts exactly," said Harold Cooper. "At the moment we have no hard evidence against him."

"If he is ever going to slip up and make a mistake, it is going to happen now," added Ressler as he placed his hand on his hips. "And we are going to be there to nail him."

"The plan is to infiltrate the criminal network by sending two agents undercover to gain information to bring Alexander and his criminal network down and to gather evidence that can be used to prosecute him and bring him to account for his actions," explained Cooper. "This operation is going to take place in Chicago and we have the full co-operation of FBI branch in Chicago."

"Who are going to be the agents undercover?" Aram asked as he briefly looked up from his laptop.

"That is still to be decided," Cooper replied as he made eye-contact with Liz who was sitting silently. "I will let you know in due course."

"Look at the files that you have been given on Krayevsky," instructed Ressler. "Malik can you ask your CIA friends about his Russian connections and how concerned we should be? Aram, you look into his offshore accounts. I want to know where his money is coming from and where it is going too? Anything that looks suspicious, I want to know about it!"

The FBI agents began to stand up indicating the end of the briefing and Liz took this as her sign to leave. She gathered the file she had been given by Ressler and her coffee mug which was empty. Cooper and Ressler were talking in hush voices now at the front of the conference room so she turned to leave.

"Keen, can you stay behind?" Harold asked as the rest of the agents exited the room. Liz sat back down at the table, dumping her file and mug on the table. Ressler went over to the door and closed it gently before sitting at the table across from her.

"The plan is to send two agents undercover," said Cooper. "And we want you to be one of them."

"Me," repeated Liz, her eyes switched from Cooper to Ressler whose face was as stoic as ever.

"I want you to prepare a detailed profile on Krayevsky," explained Cooper. "And from your profile, we can determine his motives and therefore we can anticipate his actions to stop him covering out his business. We also need you to gather information about his wife who we suspect knows a great deal about his business and could be an asset to the FBI."

"What about Meera?" Liz replied, she had been undercover once and reluctantly. She had little to no experience, surely someone with more experience would be better qualified to undertake the assignment. _Who would the other person be?_

"Malik's future with the FBI is uncertain," stated Ressler. "Red has evaded arrest and therefore the CIA feels that there is no longer any need for Malik to remain with the unit. Look, Keen, Krayevsky is responsible for the mutilation of several victims and not just the ones that we know about. He is responsible for the vast majority of drug related crime in Chicago. He uses kids to do his dirty work, only last week a thirteen year old boy was shot as a result of a drug trade gone wrong. He needs to be stopped, Keen, and this is our best chance."

"Ok," nodded Liz. Ressler always played the guilt card on her because he knew it would work. Sometimes she thought he would actually make an excellent profiler. "Who will be undercover with me?"

"I will," disclosed Ressler as he meet her eyes hesitantly.

"Ressler, will be sent to hopefully take the place of Krayevsky's number two, Viktor Tolstroy. He will get infiltrate Krayecsky criminal network and hopefully he will be able to obtain information and gather evidence on exactly what goes on in the gang, who is in the gang and exactly what their roles are."

"Your role is to get close to, Crystal Krayevsky, Alexander's wife of five years," added Ressler as he slide across a photo of a thirty year old women, platinum blonde hair, designer everything, perfect without a hair out of place. "We suspect that she knows a lot about what is going on in the operation, we went you to know what she knows. We think she can be turned into an asset, she had provided some information to the local police before. We will need to take down Krayevsky and his gang."

"The bureau has a house two doors down from the Krayevsky's that was seized because it was bought from the profits of organised crime when a money launderer was arrested. You will go undercover as Donald and Elizabeth Meller who are newlyweds. Donald will be a crooked ex-police officer who is currently exploring the security avenue and Liz is an event planner."

"You want us to be married," Donald coughed as he caught Liz's eye quickly. Her cheeks turned a faint shade of red.

"Yes, here is the marriage certificate," confirmed Cooper as he received the document from his folder. "You were married two weeks ago and are just back from your honeymoon in Costa Rico. And here are your covers, memorise them. Aram will be responsible for creating an online identity for the both of you. Any questions?"

"No, sir," replied Liz and Donald in unison as they stood up. Liz went to exit the room, Ressler held the door open for Liz before exiting sharply after her. They walked silently back to their offices. Ressler went to enter his office but hesitated and turned towards Keen.

"I didn't know we would be undercover as a married couple," explained Ressler, who was wringing his hands nervously. "I just wanted you to know that. I don't want it to be awkward between us."

Liz's gaze softened, so much had changed between them since they meet. Ressler finally trusted her and she had so much to thank him for, namely, saving her life. She had silently told him not to give the code to Anslo Garrick, shaking her head silently but he gave it anyway. Maybe he didn't see her, she was a profiler as she could account for everyone's actions, every one of his actions, but not this, this was the one thing that she couldn't explain.

"It's my job," replied Liz looking at him directly, not wanting to break the intensity of the gaze between them. "It's what I choose to do."

"And Tom what does he think about this," said Ressler, grimacing as he mentions his name. He is not a big fan of Tom, especially after the whole Gina business, there was definitely something off about him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was definitely something that set him on edge.

"Tom understands that this is what my job entails," said Liz quickly as she finally broke her gaze with Ressler. She fiddled with her wedding and engagement ring nervously.

…

Liz was packing her suitcase full of clothes. She had no idea what she would need, she know the FBI would be supplying designer clothes and other items which at some point had been owned by criminals and confiscated by the FBI. She looked through her jewellery box packing some of her more classy pieces, a necklace that one belong to her gran, diamond bracelet which she had been given by her father on her sixteenth birthday and never really saw the light of day. Hudson was sitting on a bed, watching her eagerly.

"You don't have to make me feel guilty too," sighed Liz as she sat on the bed and cuddled into him before placing a kiss on the top of his head. She reached other to her bedside cabinet and picked up the photo of Tom and her on their weekend break last year. They were both so happy and carefree, now she was miserable and her marriage was falling to pieces. Red's words were constantly in the back of her head: _Lizzy, be careful of your husband. _Was he playing her or was he trying to protect her? She glanced down at her wedding rings, a sign of being fully committed to another individual. Was she fully committed? Did she know the real him? She shut her eyes, trying to block out the thoughts that were creeping into her mind: Tom and Gina, Tom laughing at her.

When she had finally finished her packing, she closed the suitcase and dragged it down the stairs. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, glancing into the living room where Tom was sat watching some baseball match. She took a deep breath before entering the living room.

"That's me off," said Liz as embraced herself to what she was sure would be an argument. Tom's back was to her, he stood up and turned off the tv, an eerily silence echoed through the room.

"You're really going?" Tom asked in disbelief. His words sharp, each one piercing the remains of their relationship and the little common ground they had left.

"Yes, I'm going."

"Look Liz, I know I can't stop you from going but you need to stop this," said Tom firmly, his eyes hardening. "This job is slowly destroying you and you know the sad thing is you can't see it yourself. You're not the same person you were when you started this job."

"Maybe that's a good thing," replied Liz as this conversation started to sound like every other that occurred between them in the last couple of months since Red had left.

"Of course you would say that," laughed Tom before sighing and running his hands over his face.

She couldn't do this anymore, they were both in the same place and neither could get past it. She was becoming more miserable as each month went past, she was spending longer each day at the blacksite. She stayed longer beyond the hours she actually need to work, once her paperwork had been completed and if they were no longer on an actual case, she would browse through the cold cases or read the latest psychology journals or forensics journals. She was now competing with Ressler for the title of being the last person to leave the office. She would come home to find Tom asleep on the couch as a result of him attempting to stay up to wait for her. At first, there would be a dinner sitting out cold on the table but after a couple of weeks he knew to never expect her home for dinner. Then after the first month, he gave up attempting to wait up for her and he would be asleep in his side of the bed. She would get changed and slide into her side her bed. He was lucky if they even had a conversation between them and if they did exchange words it usually ended in some sort of argument.

"I got offered a teaching job in Nebraska," admitted Tom as if trying to elicit some sort of reaction with Liz.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Liz said, shaking her head slightly.

"You would have to be here for me to tell you Lizzie," snirked Tom. _Ok, well maybe that one was a blow to close to the bone. _

"That's not fair," snapped Liz, eyes blazing wildly.

"I get your job is important to a lot of people," admitted Tom reluctantly. "I understand that I am just a teacher and lives aren't at risk if I actually go home on time, but you can't let this job define you. You always said that your family was to going to come before your job. Do you still stand by that?"

"Tom…" Lizzie begged silently, her eyes glossing over.

"Listen Lizzie, you are going to have choose whether you want to continue doing this job or start a new life with me in Nebraska were we can actually have a life together," reprimanded Tom as he emphasised the word together. "We could go back to the process of adopting, we could have the life we wanted before you had this job? I am lucky if I see you for five minutes every day, how can we have a marriage based on that?"

"Your making me choose?"

"Liz, I am not going to stand by and watch you destroy your life," stated Tom, his eyes softening. "You can't ask me to do that."

"This is what I want," replied Liz, trying to make him understand. "For the first time in my life, I feel like I have found a purpose and I am somewhere where I belong. I feel that what I do finally matters and that I can help others. I can stop bad things happening to innocent people. Instead of attempting to rewrite my past, I can rewrite people's futures. Tom, I need you to understand this."

"And I do understand but I guess I've got the answer to my question," surmised Tom, admitting a small laugh to himself.

"I guess so," said Lizzie firmly, as she looked down at her wedding rings. She slide them gently off her finger, she felt her eyes glistening with tears. She walked over to Tom and placed them in his hand. His hand remained still even as she removed her hand. So she placed her other hand over his to close his hand to encase her rings. She placed a small kiss on her cheek, before she turned and wiped her eyes with the back the wrists to stop the tears that were threatening to fall when falling. She quickly wrapped herself in her coat and dragged the suitcase out of their house. Her ring finger felt empty but she felt like a huge burden had been lifted from herself.

She saw Ressler getting out his car, dressed in jeans and a causal shir. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. Ressler quickly walked up the steps, greeted her before taking her suitcase from her before she even had the chance to protest. He carried it down the steps before placing it in the boot of the car. He shut the boot, before coming round to open the car door for her.

"Thanks," she replied as she slid into the car attempting to muster a smile but failing miserably. Ressler shut the door behind her before walking round and getting into the driver's seat of the car. He placed his keys in the engine, before turning to look at her. She blinked rapidly attempting to retain the tears in her eyes, he looked like he was going to say something but luckily Liz's phone vibrated violently in her pocket. She looked down at her phone, Tom, once more she sent his call to voicemail, however, Ressler saw this too.

"Listen Liz, we still have time before our flight if you need a moment," Ressler said softly, dropping his normal stoic gaze.

"It's fine, Don," replied Liz as she looked away from him. She couldn't take any kindness from him at the moment as otherwise there would be no stopping the tears that would fall from her face.

…

They drove in silence for the remainder of the journey. Ressler kept glancing at her silently, opening his mouth several times and closing it quickly before any words attempted to escape. Almost as if he was afraid of her reaction if he did engage her in conversation. They reached the airport and Ressler parked the car. He sat momentarily in the car as if attempting to figure at what to say to her. When he did finally talk to her, she expected him to ask her about Tom but it was about their covers instead.

"We have to come up with a story of how we met right?"

"How we met?" Liz repeated as she tried to pull herself together and not let the randomness of the question throw her.

"That's what they always ask couples, right?" Ressler reaffirmed, as he nervously wring his hands together. "That's always a good ice breaker when you meet other couples. What do people ask you and Tom?

"Me and Tom," said Liz as she looked away from him. "I guess so."

"So how did we meet?" Ressler pushed Liz for an answer.

"We should probably stick as much to the truth as possible," Liz replied whilst not fully contemplating the question.

"A criminal brought us together as he refused to work with anyone but you and forcing us to work together," suggested Ressler with a small smirk to his eye. Liz turned to look at him with her full attention for the first time.

"How about we were introduced through your job as a detective? We couldn't stand the sight of each other?" Liz said bluntly, Ressler glanced over at her and raised his eyebrow at her quizzically.

"All that unspoken, sexual tension and you couldn't keep your hand off me?" Ressler added, as a small smile flickered across the features of Liz's face for the first time that day.

"I think it was more like you couldn't keep your hands off me," Liz quipped back.

"I almost forgot," said Ressler as he patted his jeans as he attempted to remember where he put the box.

He open the box and handed her a simply, platinum band along with a diamond engagement ring. He slid the rings onto her finger so it was once more contained a wedding set.

"Let me," said Liz as Ressler attempted to jungle the box in his right hand and his own matching wedding band. His gaze never moved from her face as she slid his ring onto his finger.

"So it's official for the next couple of weeks you are my wife."

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_A/N – Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!_


	2. Agent Winters

_A/N – I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the lovely reviews that I received on this story. It means a lot to me. I also wanted to thank the people who left reviews as guests as I can't respond to you all individually!_

_Thanks to: Katie, Kirst92, Civiliany, justatvfan, SpiritFeather19524, Guest, rebelangel556, FoxNSock, FlightRN, Lee Mayfair, Ethala, foreveryoungandfaithful, Guest for leaving reviews and to everyone else who has followed or favourited this story! _

_Blacklist Monday today! So excited for this episode! We have survived the first Blacklist hiatus! Yayy! I wasn't sure I was going to make it through it!_

_Anyway here is the next chapter, slightly more Keen/Ressler interaction. So here we go! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Blacklist otherwise it would basically be a Ressler/Keen show._

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**Chapter Two – Agent Winters**

Liz and Ressler arrived at O'Hare airport late in the afternoon. The flight had been uneventful. Ressler had re-read all the case files from the case, analysed the Krayevsky's personal finances and looked further into the background of the Chicago's crime family on the flight. Liz had attempted to go through her cover-story once more: Elizabeth Meller, a single child brought up in Washington and was currently an event planner responsible for some of American societies best parties. However, all the words in the file blurred into one whilst she tried to keep focused and move on from early morning events with Tom. This was easier said than done with the end of their relationship a long time in the making. This however did not make it any easier to deal with. The flight was a mere two hours and it was not long before they landed in Chicago.

It was early evening before they arrived at the house in Cook County where they would be staying. Liz and Ressler pulled up in the drive in their rental car – some fancy sports car that Ressler had gotten excited about. The house was beautiful made from white brick and had a large garden which surrounded the property.

"Wow," said Liz as she took in her surroundings.

"First time I've seen you speechless," grinned Ressler as he took a moment to appreciate the house. "It really is something else."

"So this is how the other half live…"

"You just need to ask Red about that," quipped Ressler. He walked up to the door before raking his hands through the flower pots which had been strategically placed next to the door searching for the keys. He finally succeeded in the third flower pot that he tried. He handed the keys to Liz, who in turn placed them in the door and opened it before she stepped inside the property. The house was just as magnificent on the inside. The entrance was a large hallway with solid, oak floors and a feature staircase. The house was fully furnished and high-end. Even the painting hanging in the entrance was probably worth more than she earned in a year. So this would be home for the next couple of weeks, a distraction from the reality of her personal life.

Ressler followed her in, lugging the luggage out of the trunk of their rental car. He left their suitcases in the entrance whilst he went over to the table where he picked up a large brown package. He tore it open. He found two cell phones and further instructions on the inner workings of the property. He passed one of the cell phones to Liz before carefully scanning the instructions.

Liz decided to explore the place, she exited the entrance at the far side and found herself in an open kitchen diner. It was probably the size of the ground floor of her house alone. She ran her fingers over the granite surfaces, before her stomach grumbled nosily. She had forgotten how long ago, she had previously eaten. She took a quick look in the fridge, sighing when she found it empty. Looks like they would have to go shopping for supplies.

Ressler appeared in the kitchen, moments later, taking a second to gaze at her softly before quickly redirecting his thoughts. He could imagine them coming home from work together, having a normal domestic life and actually having a life outside of work once more. _Stop it._ He warned himself. _She's married. _All he knew was that the temptation of this undercover assignment was going to push him to the limit.

"Looks like we are going to need go shopping for supplies," said Liz as she continued to raid the cupboards, finding each one like the last, empty.

"We can go on the way back from the FBI tonight," stated Ressler. "Cooper has arranged for us to meet the team that we will be liaising with tonight. It will be a good opportunity for us to get to know the team, see if there's any sign of corruption in the ranks."

"We could also grab take-out of the way back," added Liz. "I don't think that any of us will be up for cooking tonight, plus I still want to go through some of the files of Krayevsky once more."

"Sounds good," grinned Ressler. "What kinda of girl are you Chinese or Thai?"

"Thai," laughed Liz she moved around the isle.

"Thai, it is then."

She placed a soft hand on his arm as she by-passed him, shooting him a sideways grin. She leaned back on the counter beside him, their bodies brushing each other. She crossed her arms, both of them were avoiding the conversation that they knew they really should be having. _How far are we going to go to retain our cover?_ Liz knew that the boundaries were, likely, going to be decided by her. Ressler was too much of a gentleman to take advantage of the situation, however, she decided that she was on a mission to find out more about the man. She knew relatively little about him and his background. Minus the last five years which he had spent chasing Red, she wanted to know what motivated him and get beyond the façade that he seemed so reluctant to drop for anyone. There had been moments when she had started to see his façade slipped, but it was often replaced as quickly as it had slipped. Liz had seen the glimpses of a man who cared deeply about what he did and the people surrounding him, not the man who was angry and one-dimension who he seemed so intent on playing.

"…. Bedroom." Liz only caught the end of Ressler's sentence. She took a sudden gasp of breath almost choking, before quickly looking at him.

"Bedroom?" Liz questioned in bewilderment, looking slightly like a deer caught in the head-lights.

"You can take the master bedroom," repeated Ressler, ignorant to her bewilderment. Liz swallowed, she felt the blood rushing to her face.

"Right, the master." Liz wanted the ground to swallow her up. _Seriously, did I actually think he was going to be that direct with me?_

"Are you sure?"

"I've already put you suitcase in the room," replied Ressler. "I am just going to make a quick call to the FBI to let them know that we are coming."

Ressler took his phone out of his jeans pocket, before walking away to make the call. Liz looked around the kitchen was more, before she began to make her way upstairs. There was several bedrooms, each one seemed bigger than the last. She finally made her way to the master, where she found her suitcase like Ressler had said. It was ultra-modern minus the four poster bed at the centre of the room. There was a large walk-in-wardrobe which she found full of clothes. There were several evening gowns, suits and some more casual wear. There was also a large selection of designer shoes and heels that she wasn't sure she would even know how to walk in. There was also an en-suite bathroom with a large shower, and hot tub. She went back into the bedroom before sitting down on the bed, taking in her surroundings once more. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in," shouted Liz. Ressler entered the room but did not venture far into it.

"I spoke with the FBI and we are going to be briefed at 18.00. Just thought that I would give you a heads up as we will need to leave in thirty minutes."

"Ok, great," said Liz. "It will give me a chance to quickly freshen up."

"Oh, and my room is just two doors down," added Ressler, dropping his stoic façade. "Just in case you need anything."

Liz smiled softly back at him in appreciation, before she could add anything else they were interrupted by her phone ringing. She retrieved it from her pocket, she glanced down and saw that Tom was ringing once more. The smile slowly slid from her face. She bit her lip nervously as she once more sent the call to voicemail and which brought the total number of missed calls to twenty. She placed the phone on the bedside table.

Ressler saw a mixture of emotions flicker through her eyes. Liz was an open book when it came to her emotions, and that was one of the things that he appreciated about her in this line of business. People were rarely honest, yet Liz was an open book to him. He had seen that expression earlier in the car, when he had picked her up from her house. The expression when she rejected Tom's call. He had a feeling that their relationship was going through a rocky patch and he felt sorry for her. He knew all too well what this job could do this relationship. He debated about whether he should mention it, but he decided it was best to leave it alone for the time being.

"I'll meet you in the entrance in thirty minutes then," said Ressler turning back into his business-like mode.

….

Ressler drove them as usual to the FBI headquarters in Chicago. Liz wondered whether his need to always drive was stemmed from his need to always been in control.

She looked out of the car window, she was a little stunned by the beautiful and expensive properties in Cook County which belonged to the millionaires of Chicago. Ressler pointed out Krayevsky's house which as she suspected was definitely the biggest and most extravagant on the street. It was the first time that Liz caught sight of the man that they were after. Alexander Krayevsky exited his house whilst shouting down the phone and looking stressed. He quickly got into his very expensive looking sports car before hastily exiting the drive.

When Keen and Ressler arrived at the FBI headquarters they were greeted by Agent Travis Sieber. Agent Sieber was in his late thirties, married, overweight and not exactly thrilled to see them. He made it abundantly clear that Krayevsky was untouchable and that there whole existence in Chicago was a waste of their time.

"This is my partner Agent Will Winters," said Agent Sieber. He introduced them to a man that was of a similar age to Sieber but who was exactly the opposite of him. He reminded Liz slightly of Ressler, with the sharp suits and the sleeked back hair but that was where any similarities ended. He was open and charming, not closed off.

"It's just Will," added Agent Winters as he flashed a quick smile along with a wink at Liz as he shook Liz and Don's hands. Liz felt Ressler stiffen slightly next to him, as he edged slightly towards her in a protective manner. Liz rolled her eyes at this.

"I'm Agent Ressler and this is Agent Keen," replied Ressler as ascertained his professional authority over them.

"Welcome to Chicago," smiled Agent Winters as he ignored Ressler and turned his full attention back to Liz. "How was your flight?"

"Fine, thanks," smiled Liz.

"So you're a profiler," asked Agent Winters. "I am so intrigued to find out more about profiler, I am just back from a course in New York about the use of profiling in drug related offences."

"Yes, I am," confirmed Liz her interest peaked. "Really, who was teaching the course? I worked in New York for a couple of years before moving to Chicago as a profiler."

"It was… em… Agent Mathers," clarified Agent Winters.

"Yes, I know Agent Stephan Mathers, he taught me almost all I know about profiling."

"He's a funny guy, did he tell you the story about the time he profiled that the perpetrator of the crime had a love of old Holywood movies. The FBI actually stormed a showing of The Prince and the Showgirl to catch him."

"Of course," grinned Liz. "He is now serving back to back life sentences in prison."

"As much as I am sure we would all love to hear about profiling stories…" Ressler stated sarcastically, however this sarcasm was lost on Agent Winters.

"Are you a profiler as well?" Liz shut her eyes, and bit her lip to stop her from laughing out loud.

"No," Ressler stated briskly. "What developments have you seen in the Krayevsky's case?"

"The post-mortem was carried out this morning on Viktor Tolstroy," stated Agent Sieber. "It has been categories as a murder. The coroner has held that the GWS was not self-inflicted and that therefore it was impossible for it to have been a suicide."

"We are still waiting for toxicology to come back but hopefully we should have the results within the next forty-eight hours," added Agent Winters.

"Basically there is no exculpatory evidence at all which links Krayevsky to this crime other than the circumstantial evidence that Viktor Tolstroy was his number two," said Agent Sieber before getting up to leave. "Krayevsky is damn good. Good luck in finding out anything else."

"There was one thing that struck me as odd about this staged suicide," disclosed Agent Winters. "He was shot with a 9mm handgun which was determined from the bullet that was retrieved from his GWS, however, the gun that was found on him was a Glock 38. Surely, whoever staged this murder would know that the police would see the inconsistency and conclude that this definitely was not a suicide."

"That is strange," agreed Liz.

"Unless whoever staged the suicide wanted us to know that it was a murder," theorised Ressler.

"Someone who cared about Viktor Tolstroy?" Liz added, turned to face Ressler.

"Most likely, maybe didn't agree with Krayevsky's decision to kill him," expanded Ressler as he turned over the new information in his head, thinking out loud.

"If you need anything at all, don't hesitant to give me call Agent Keen," said Agent Winters as he handed over his FBI card with his number over it. Liz looked at Ressler whose expression was impossible to read, she thought she saw a flash of something in his eyes that she hadn't recognised before. She turned back Agent Winters before taking the card from him.

"Thanks," said Liz as she give him a soft smile. "You know where we are."

"We'll be contact," said Ressler sharply. Liz turned around to leave with Ressler who placed his hand on the small of her back as they went to leave. Liz arched her eyebrow at him quizzically, but he missed it as he looked around and meet Agent Winters gaze to make sure that he knew that she was off limits.

His hand never left her back until he got back to the car and they both went their separate ways to get into the car. Liz immediately missed the warmth of his hand on the back of her back.

"What was that about?" Liz asked immediately as soon as he had shut the door.

"People like Agent Winters and Agent Sieber tarnish the reputation of people in police-enforcement," stated Ressler as his hands clenched the steering-wheel which did not go unnoticed by Liz. "Too wrapped up in themselves to care about anyone else.

"I thought Agent Winters was very helpful…" Liz disagreed.

"Of course, you would say that," Ressler muttered to himself, whilst putting the keys in and starting the engine.

"… Agent Sieber on the other hand was not exactly optimistic in the chances of success in this operation."

…

Liz and Don stopped on the way back from the FBI headquarters to get supplies and then ordered a Thai as planned. They were sitting down in the kitchen, plates empty but with some of the food still remaining. Liz got up and started to pile the leftovers in a plastic box whilst Ressler loaded the plates into the dishwasher. Liz suddenly realised how domestic they seemed. She would never have imagined when she meet him that here she would be, months later, and playing house with him for a mission.

"I'm just going to have a shower," said Ressler. "All the towels are sitting in a cupboard in the main bathroom so just help yourself."

He paused momentarily in the kitchen doorway whilst Liz was putting the leftover know in the fridge. "We should probably introduce ourselves to the Krayevsky's tomorrow."

"Yes, that seems like a good idea," agreed Liz.

"Have a good night," added Don hesitantly has he gave her a small nod.

"You too," smiled Liz.

She hung around downstairs for a while. She browsed through Krayevky's personal finances which Aram had sent Ressler earlier in the day. They were still awaiting the legitimate and illegitimate business finances. There was nothing out of the ordinary, Ressler had circled large transactions but they seemed perfectly legit. New car, various boutiques - shopping sprees by Crystal no doubt. Nothing that would indicate anything suspicious.

Liz made her way up the stairs, before deciding that she would have a shower. She tried to remember where the main bathroom was up the stairs. She opened the door to what she thought was the main bathroom only to found Ressler in nothing but a towel. This was most definitely not the main bathroom but his room instead. His hair dripping wet and dishevelled, his upper body was most definitely naked. She swallowed deeply, her cheeks flushing. She looked away quickly but that didn't stop her from noticing his defined chest which was obviously a result of working out in the gym.

"Sorry… I was…. just… looking for the towels," stuttered Liz.

"Two doors up on the right," replied Don calmly, tightening the towel round himself.

"Right… thanks," Liz replied, whilst rooted to the spot.

She took another greedy look at his impressive body before turning hastily and exiting in the room. _God, what was I thinking? Pull it together. When did this start to happen? When did I notice that Don… wait, no, Ressler was attractive?_ She paused for a moment, the Stewmaker case with Meera. Meera told him he was hot, Meera only voiced what she herself had been thinking.

She had a quick shower before she pulled on her pj short and tank top before climbing into bed. She picked up her phone which had remained on the table next to the bed. She paused for a moment before she strolled through her phonebook and made the call.

"Tom, it's me".

_A/N – I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Any comments would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!_


	3. Meeting Crystal

_A/N – Thank you so much for your continued support in this story. I would love to update more than I do but I do have a job and currently doing a postgraduate degree which takes up so much time I do love a bit of the Blacklist to escape from the world of law for a little bit of time each week. _

_Loved the last episode of The Blacklist – Ressler and that child just made my heart melt. Can't wait for tonight's episode._

_Thanks as always for all the favourites and follows for this story. I am so glad that you are enjoying this story. Big shout out to: alittlelambb, Jessica, kimmyH, FoxNSock, Facebook25, Charmaine01, romancefan626, guest, lazybum89, civiliany, Kirst92, RebeccaBraxton, sxcthing123 and flightRN for reviewing the story. _

_Huge thank you to my beta flightRN, your help and time is greatly appreciated!_

_Anyway here is the next part of the story. I hope you enjoy :)__  
_

_Disclaimer: As always I do not own the Blacklist otherwise in every episode Ressler would be all cutesy with children. _

* * *

**Chapter Three – Meeting Crystal**

"Tom, it's me," Elizabeth sighed into the phone. "Listen I don't want to fight anymore. I said all that I wanted to say earlier. I'm exhausted."

"We'll talk about this when you get back from your job, Lizzie," Tom replied down the phone. "You don't know what you are saying.

"That's the problem," Lizzie replied hastily. "I know exactly what I am saying. This is the best thing for the both of us. Goodbye Tom."

Liz hung up the phone before Tom had a chance to reply. She looked at the phone in her hand before switching it off and disconnecting the SIM card from the phone. She placed the phone and the SIM card on her bedside cabinet and picked up the files that lay next to it.

…

The next morning Liz woke up as the sun filtered through the curtains. She blinked hastily, before turning away from the brightness. She looked at the clock on the bedside cabinet – 09:30. She groaned quietly, before stretching - trying to wake herself up. She had slept for ten hours; this was the most she had slept for in a long time. She stood up and wrapped her robe round her. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to tame the tangled mess it had become during the night.

She padded down the stairs quietly and heard some loud clattering in the kitchen. She continued through to the kitchen where she found Don. It was strange referring to him as Don, she tested the word quietly. She supposed Don was the more laid back and more open version of himself, whilst Ressler was his FBI counterpart. He was currently raiding the fridge for food, placing eggs, bacon and other ingredients on the side. He was ignorant to the fact that she had entered the room.

"Morning," said Liz.

"Morning," replied Don as he turned around to face her. "Good night last night?"

"You could say that," laughed Liz as her cheeks turned a faint shade of red as she remembered a topless Don from the night before. She couldn't help but remember the ripped muscles that hid underneath his shirts, but today he was currently dressed in slacks and a polo shirt. She almost did a double take when she realised his hair wasn't slicked back in his usual style. It was odd seeing him out of the usual suits that he wore to work, she much preferred this laid-back look.

"Fry up," asked Don as he indicated to the food that he had gathered from the fridge.

"Go on then," smiled Liz. "But no tomatoes for me."

"No tomatoes," replied Don curiously has he arched his eyebrow whilst flashing her a quick grin.

"I hate them," said Liz as she shivered with disgust. "They're just so red and squidgy…. Yuck."

"One breakfast with no tomatoes coming up," stated Don as he busied himself throwing the food together.

"Coffee?" Liz questioned as she currently needed her daily fix of caffeine. She took two mugs out of the cupboard and looked around the kitchen trying to work out where the coffee machine was.

"In the pot," said Don as he indicated with a spatula.

"What time were you up this morning?" Liz asked as she poured the coffee into her mug.

"Seven, I think," said Don as he tried to remember what time he had gotten up. "Been for a run, showered and made the coffee.

"You should have woken me up."

"Nah," replied Don as he turned back to the cooker to stir things around. He then immediately turned back to her. "You needed the sleep. You're exhausted Liz, you have been working flat out for months. The least you can have is a long lie once in a while. You never know when you are next going to get sleep in our job."

"And yet, you're up and half way through the day before I am even awake," remarked Liz as she sipped her coffee trying to fully wake herself up. "In case you haven't noticed I don't do well with mornings, I have tendency to be late for work or arrive just on time. First day of work I was late. When the Post Office got taken by Garrick I was late. Are you starting to see a pattern here?

Don placed two plates on the kitchen bar and placed the fork and knife next to her. He then piled bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages and beans onto both of their plates.

"This smells so good," said Liz. She took a forkful of food and placed it in her mouth. "Mmm, this is so good."

"Glad you like it," said Don as he shot her a sideways glance.

"Where did you learn to cook like this?" Liz asked Don.

"My younger brother is a chef," Don disclosed as Liz swallowed in surprise. This was the first nugget of personal information that Don had disclosed about himself and his family. "I may have picked up a few things from him."

"You'll have to introduce me to him at some point," laughed Liz.

"We're not exactly on speaking terms anymore," said Don as he looked away from Liz.

"I'm sorry," said Liz as she placed a soft hand on his forearm.

….

Liz and Don spent the rest of the morning going through the Krayevsky's legitimate business finances. He owned several clubs and car washes in the Chicago area, all of them appeared to be turning a healthy profit but they knew this was where they laundered their money. Don ran a hand over his face in frustration.

"He certainly knows how to be a criminal," Don laughed ironically.

"Well, he has gotten away with it for so long," replied Liz. She set her file down on the table in front of them. "I don't think we are going to find anything that it is not legit in his finances for the moment."

"We need to find out how he is doing it so we can look in the right places," said Don leaning back into his chair. Before Don could continue, there was a loud knock on the door.

"I'll get it," said Liz as stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder to halt his attempt to answer it.

"I'll tidy this up," replied Ressler as he indicated to the files in front of him.

Liz walked through the entrance and paused momentarily before she answered the door. She took a deep breath as she knew this could possibly be the introduction that they were waiting for. She exhaled deeply before answering the door and sure enough it was Crystal. She didn't differ much from the picture in her file. Her hair was now shoulder length, but still remained platinum blonde. She was wearing a summer dress, which showed off her natural tan. Her make-up was impeccable. She was very beautiful and she certainly had an expensive taste in clothes.

"Hi," smiled Liz as she opened the door.

"Hi, I'm Crystal Krayevsky," said Crystal as she introduced herself. "I live at number thirty-four with my husband Alex."

"I'm Liz Meller," replied Liz as she opened the door further. "Do you want to come in?"

"Just quickly," answered Crystal. "I have a hair appointment in an hour. But I just wanted to introduce myself and give you this." She handed over what looked like a Pecan pie to Liz.

"Thank you," said Liz gratefully as she took the pie from her and sat on the table in the entrance. "You didn't have to do that."

"No problem," replied Crystal as she waived her hand like it was nothing.

"Don," shouted Liz through the entrance. Ressler appeared two seconds later and joined Liz by her side. He wrapped his arm round her. Liz stiffened for a moment before placing a hand on top of his. "This is my husband Don Meller. Don, this is Crystal she lives at number thirty-four with her husband Alex."

"It's nice to meet you," said Ressler as he unwrapped himself from Liz and stepped forward to shake her hand firmly. Liz laughed to herself softly as Crystal appeared to swoon slightly at his presence.

"You moved in fast," remarked Crystal as she looked around the place. There was not a box in sight. "It took me months to unpack everything and that was with a lot of help."

"Liz is an event organiser," said Ressler in response. "She left instructions for the move whilst we were on our honeymoon. She can't stand disorder and chaos. Last time we moved I thought she was going to have a mental breakdown."

"Shut up," said Liz as she playfully slapped him on the chest. "My job is basically to organise people and I have some pretty good contacts that I know I can trust. So, if there were any opportunity to utilise that, then this would be the perfect time. There is some definite major renovation to be done in some of the rooms, but I wanted to settle in first before I embark on any new projects."

"I hear you," laughed Crystal. "We just renovated the kitchen in our house and I couldn't believe the stress that it caused. I'm glad we don't plan on moving any time soon. So you just got married …"

"Yes," smiled Liz as glanced at Ressler. His arm had returned to her back and he was stroking her back in soft circles. It was funny, she didn't think he was even aware that he was doing it. "Three weeks now."

"I remember the honeymoon phase," smiled Crystal blissfully. "Enjoy it while you can."

"How long have you been married now?" Liz questioned.

"Four years," stated Crystal as she laughed to herself. "Feels like an age. So are you guys from around here?"

"No," said Don as he shook his head. "We've actually just moved from Washington DC. Heard there was some good job opportunities here."

"What some of business are you in?" Crystal questioned.

"Security," said Don.

"Well, you should talk to my husband. I hear he is looking for some new people," smiled Crystal. "We are having a dinner party tonight with some of the other neighbours. You should come, it would be the perfect opportunity to meet the rest of the neighbours, plus you can meet Alex. You definitely need to come."

Don looked at Liz who nodded in agreement. "That sounds good," smiled Liz. "Thank you."

"It's blacktie," Crystal expanded. "We all need an opportunity to dress up around here, life gets too boring otherwise. Starts at seven and dinner will be served around seven-thirty."

"Well, we'll see you then," said Don.

"Perfect," smiled Crystal. "I can't wait for you to meet everyone and there will be some Alex's friends from work too."

"Sounds good," said Liz as Crystal glanced at her watch.

"I better dash if I am going to make my hair appointment for tonight," said Crystal.

"It was really nice to meet you," replied Don.

"No, it was really nice to meet you," grinned Crystal as Don disappeared into the back of the house.

"Thanks for the pie," added Liz. "I'll show you out."

Liz moved to show her the door. "I am looking forward to tonight and getting to know everyone," smiled Liz. "There is nothing worse than moving to a new place where you don't know anyone."

"And now you know me."

"Thank you so much again," responded Liz gratefully.

"Oh… and by the way….your husband is hot," winked Crystal at Liz before she left.

Liz let out a small chuckle before she turned around to find out where had gone. She found him on the phone in the kitchen.

"Yes…. We have been in contact with Crystal Krayevsky and we will be meeting Alexander Krayevsky tonight at his house…. Yes, I'll keep you informed…. Bye." Don hung up the phone before glancing over at Liz.

"Who was it?" Liz inquired.

"Cooper," responded Don. "He wanted to know as soon as we were in contract with the Krayevsky's. So what did you think of Crystal?"

"First impressions?" Liz thought back to the previous couple of minutes. "She seems normal minus her expensive taste in clothes. I think we could possibly even be friends in my normal life."

"That's good," replied Don. "It makes getting to know her easier, as well as pump her for any information she has on her husband."

"Very true," smiled Liz. "Although I think that you may even be better than me for that part of the job."

"What do you mean?" Don questioned, ignorant of Liz's implications.

"Well she certainly appreciated your looks," teased Liz as she laughed softly. "I bet she can't wait to see you in a tux. Speaking of tuxes, has the bureau kitted you out with one?"

"Yes," said Don. "Think it is a Ralph Lauren."

"Very dapper," smirked Liz. "Well, I suppose I better go raid my wardrobe to find something to wear with those ridiculous high heels. I mean there's heels and then there are these high heels that that I will be expected to wear tonight. You're probably going to have to carry me back tonight."

…

Liz raided her wardrobe and picked out numerous dresses that she could wear. They were all worlds away from her everyday work outfits, which were all smart and conservative. She ended up picking a black, knee length dress. It was strapless and had a deep-v down the front that finished near the bottom of her breasts. The dress was slightly lower than she probably would have deemed appropriate but none of the dresses were exactly modest. It had a satin section at her waist and a subtle zip at the back.

However, she was unable to zip the back of the dress up. She had succeeded in getting it half-way up but it seemed to have gotten stuck on something. She reached round to the back of the dress to try again, but once she finally got a hold of the zipper and attempted to pull it up she failed for what seemed like the hundredth time. She let out a frustrated sigh as she strained her neck to see what was going on. _Why were zippers at the back of dresses anyway? _She groaned as she looked at the time: 19.10. They were supposed to be at the Krayevsky's ten minutes ago. She supposed her and Don would just have to be fashionably late instead. She shoved her phone and gun in her clutch before quickly re-doing her lipstick and adding some more mascara. She swung on a pair of black Louboutins before hastily grabbing her clutch.

She looked down the stairs where Ressler stood in his suit. She had to admit that he looked attractive; he had slicked his hair back in his usual style. He was even wearing a bow-tie. If Red were here, he would have, no doubt, made some snarky remark about it. She laughed to herself about, which alerted Don to her presence. She smiled as she walked down the stairs towards him.

"Wow," stated Don as she began to feel slightly nervous under his gaze which travelled down her body. "You look amazing."

"Thanks," replied Liz as she flashed up a grin. "And you don't look too bad yourself."

They stood for what seemed like several minutes in silence, both distracted by the other. The proximity between them clouded her mind, she opened her mouth before she closed it again. It was strange Liz couldn't exactly explain their relationship. Their relationship definitely wasn't strictly platonic, she had definitely caught him looking at her in the Post Office and he had caught her looking at him too. Ever since Don had given the code to Red, even after she had subtly shaken her head to tell him not too, their relationship had become undefinable. They seemed to be dancing along a fine-line, not knowing where exactly their relationship was going and that was because she was married and Audrey had re-entered his life. Liz had gone to visit Don in hospital after his surgery, but she had to admit to herself that she was slightly disappointed when she found him laughing with another women.

"My zipper's stuck," Liz stuttered. "Could you do it up?"

"Right," coughed Don. "Sure."

He positioned himself behind her and she could feel his warm breath on her neck. His fingers ghosted over the offending object. His hands trembled slightly as he reached for the zip and he accidently skimmed his fingers over the soft skin of her back in the process. Liz shivered slightly at this brief touch. He then pulled up the zip slowly to the top, running his hand up her back in the process. Before he reached the top, he softly brushed her hair round to one side of her neck so he could continue with the task at hand. Once he finished he rested his hand briefly on her shoulder bare shoulder and run his thumb back and forth for the most miniscule of seconds.

"Done," growled Don. His low voice brimmed with desire. Liz turned round to face him and she suddenly became aware of how close they were. She couldn't help but let out a small gasp when she realised how his eyes had darkened with arousal. They both stared at each other, neither of them wanted to be the one to break the gaze. However, Don coughed loudly as he took a step back.

"I suppose we'd better get going," said Don as he offered her a gentle smile. "Don't want them worrying about what we've gotten up to."

"We're newlyweds, I have a pretty good idea of what they think we are getting up to," teased Liz as she noticed Don's cheeks reddening.

They walked side by side down the street, occasionally brushing each other's arm by accident. His hand grazed hers slightly before she made the leap and placed her hand in his, fingers interlocking. Don shot her a sideways look, she just give him a small smile in response.

* * *

_A/N – What happens at the dinner? Any comments are greatly appreciated. Let me know what you want to see in this story!_


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